Biography

Jacob joined the iSpace lab in Fall 2023 as a MSc stu­dent. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Software Systems Engineering from the University of Regina. During his time at URegina, he also worked as an under­grad­u­ate researcher in the Department of Computer Science’s aRMADILo Lab; his research focus was inter­dis­ci­pli­nary appli­ca­tions for immer­sive vir­tual real­ity expe­ri­ences, specif­i­cally in the areas of spa­tial cog­ni­tion and iso­lated phobia expo­sure ther­apy. He is also self-taught in Unity (since early 2019) and Unreal Engine (since early 2022), and has pre­vi­ously worked in the indus­try as an inter­ac­tive dig­i­tal media developer.

Projects

Pathways to flourishing

Leveraging Virtual Reality for cultivating compassion, resilience, social connectedness, and healthy habits in emerging adults facing chronic health challenges About half of youths with chronic physical conditions develop anxiety and/or depression, causing significant distress and disruption within their lives over many years. This underscores their need for well-being tools- particularly ones t...

By denise quesnel, bernhard riecke, noah miller, jacob sauer, alex kitson, katarina tabi, sylvain moreno, beth payne, faranak farzan, dzung vo, steve dipaola & jennifer wilson Read more

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Awedyssey: VR for pro­mo­ting and enhancing well-being

We are investigating and creating a new virtual reality (VR) experience, 'Awedyssey', for the promotion and enhancement of well-being. Today, digital technology pervasively intersects with our daily lives, and VR stands out as a digital tool capable of fostering positive emotion like awe, self-transcendence, and authentic social connection. Connecting with nature is very important for our mental...

By denise quesnel, noah miller, katerina stepanova, john desnoyers stewart, jacob sauer, ashu adhikari, patrick pennefather, alex kitson, alexander stahn & bernhard riecke Read more

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Publications